All These Tame Futures
by iguessso12
Summary: Snapshots of everyday life in some future where nothing happens. Mob is warm and safe and protected. (like he should be) Series of plot-less one-shots where everybody is happy.
1. You Did A Good Job

"Are you certain?"

Usually his voice was soft – it never carried and people had to strain to listen for it – but this was even softer. He was in a library after all. And the gaze of his study group not-so-discretely fixed on him wasn't helping matters much. He should have stepped out to take the call. He hadn't.

An affirmative grunt traveled over the line. For all his oozing charm and people skills Reigen could really be coarse at times. He must not be with a client.

"Alright. I'm coming. Give me thirty minutes. I'll have to catch a train."

"I'm really sorry to bother you with this, Mob." Reigen sounded a little worn, "I didn't want to…"

"Don't worry about it, shishou."

He hung up before Reigen could beat himself up about it anymore. He understood. Reigen might be a fraud of a psychic but his desire to help people was genuine. Things got out of hand on occasion, but that's why he had Mob.

"Kageyama-kun, are you leaving?" his classmate peered over the top of her glasses, "You've only been here a half hour.

"Sorry, Yokoi-san. It's urgent." he packed his things into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

Yokoi leaned over her textbook as she said, "I hope your friend is okay."

Mob couldn't help but smile, "I'm sure he is. He's just in over his head. Again."

"And you're off to bail him out. Again." Tanaka, another member of his study group, said with some skepticism, "What exactly did you say your friend does for a living?"

"He's a consultant."

Tanaka looked ready to launch into another round of questioning that Mob didn't have time for. He took his leave with only a parting comment.

"I'll be sure to go over the readings."

"Don't stay up to late, Kageyama-kun!" Yokoi reminded him, to which he nodded. Mob pushed his way through the university's library doors and out into the chill of early February. The air seemed to pierce his lungs, but it was therapeutic.

His phone buzzed. A brief text from Ritsu saying that he wouldn't be eating dinner at the apartment. Which was fine with Mob. He probably wouldn't be eating dinner at the apartment either if Reigen had his way. Which he usually did.

The route to the station, the platforms, the train ride. It was all familiar. Mob wasn't attending a university that was far from home, but he found himself making the transit back about once a month. Not to visit home, no, but for Reigen. Sometimes Mob wondered if Reigen found an evil spirit just so he could call and check on Mob.

Today's case most likely wasn't one of those.

Mob had exams coming up in a month. Hence the study group. And Mob struggled with classes even with the help of the study group. Reigen knew that.

But Mob didn't mind.

The scenery flashed by. The train carriage rocked, making Mob sleepy in his seat. To distract himself he responded to his text from Ritsu. But that barely took up any time. Mob hadn't realized he'd nodded off until he was waking up again.

"You're here."

The nebulous form of Dimple floated in front of his face.

"Have you been with shishou today?" Like it had been in the library, Mob's voice was soft. But this time to avoid the attention people might give him for seemingly speaking to thin air.

"Ritsu didn't want me around."

Mob laughed a little at that.

"And I know you didn't want any distractions with exams coming up."

"The point is moot now." Mob said, standing as the train came to a complete stop at the platform for Seasoning City, "Did you happen to see what it was that shishou found."

Dimple followed by his side as he scanned his rail pass at the gate and shuffled out into the streets.

"Well, it's a little difficult to explain. You might just want to see for yourself."

"Hmmm."

Mob followed his feet and his senses. It didn't take much effort to locate Reigen's aura, he'd been doing it for years. And as he drew closer, the aura of an unfamiliar spirit came into focus as well. It was weak, yes, but stronger than what just Reigen and Dimple could deal with.

"Shishou?" Mob called up the stairwell of a decrepit building.

A series of knocks traveled down through the ceiling. Reigen was somewhere up there. Mob eyed the sagging steps with some trepidation.

"They held Reigen." Dimple assured him. The spirit had become quite the expert at dealing with Mob, "Even with the muscle you have now, it shouldn't be a problem. And even if they don't, you can catch yourself with telekinesis."

"Yeah."

Mob mounted the steps and trudged down the dreary hallway to the room he'd identified as the source of both Reigen's and the spirit's auras. Dimple had been right, the scene was much easier to digest when it was seen than when it was explained.

Reigen was peeking through a cracked door to what must be a closet. Blocking his exit was a… thing. It appeared to be an amalgamation of creatures: a lizard's body with the head of a monkey and the talons of an eagle. It was growling and slobbering at Reigen who ducked behind the door as much as possible.

"Oi, Mob. Can you get rid of this thing already!?" Reigen's tone was sharp. Mob wondered how long he'd been trapped in that closet. It probably didn't help that there were cockroaches scuttling away with every human movement in the room.

"Give me a minute, shishou."

Calmly, Mob scanned the room. It looked to be a small, one-room apartment. The cheap kind. It had fallen into disarray with the rest of the building. But something caught Mob's eye. Pinned to the wall was a faded square of paper. A careful crayon drawing had survived over the years, made with all the skill and dedication a six-year-old child would have to offer.

Not many people would call Mob smart. But when it came to psychic powers, he didn't have to think, he just knew. And he was almost never wrong. So he just knew that this spirit was an imaginary friend. Brought to life, left behind, and eventually forgotten by the child who'd envisioned it.

"What are you doing, Shigeo?" Dimple asked, puzzled, as Mob levitated the drawing over to himself. Obviously, neither he nor Reigen followed his line of thought. Not many people did. Not even Ritsu after he'd awakened his psychic power. But as far as Mob was concerned, that was fine.

The way Mob saw it, _this_ was the purpose of his psychic powers.

Lights burst and popped. Wayward flashes startled the remaining cockroaches and forced them to hiding. The spirit squealed and swirled as its energy was exorcised. Mob could just barely feel its energy pulse past his outstretched hand as it dissipated. It was next to nothing on his radar.

All that remained was a quivering lizard thing, its unblinking eyes fixed on Mob.

Mob crouched down.

"Look." Mob explained as he pointed to the date scribbled on the bottom corner of the paper. The date was seventeen years past, "You did it. He's all grown up now. You did a good job."

The ghost curled up on itself. Its quivering shuddered and came to a stop. With a final heave – a sigh – the little ghost faded out of existence. A little hum echoed in Mob's ears as the late imaginary friend offered its thanks.

Mob pushed off his knees to lever himself to his feet. Reigen emerged from the closet, brushing dust of his trademark grey suit. Reigen was wearing his pink tie today, Mob noticed.

"Thank you, Mob." Reigen tugged his suit jacket straight, "That thing wouldn't let me out of the closet."

"It probably thought you were a monster."

Reigen looked highly offended.

He had failed to realize the fact that the late imaginary friend was trying to protect its child from the monsters in the closet. He had chosen his hiding place poorly.

"Well," Reigen was sweating just a bit. Whether that was because he'd been stuck in a closet or because he was anxious about something, Mob couldn't tell. Even after all this time he was still bad a reading the mood. Even Reigen's.

Reigen coughed awkwardly, "I'll have to swing by the office to grab your pay. I'll include your commute time in that. By then, it'll be dinner time. How does Ramen sound?"

"Sounds good, shishou."

Mob didn't argue with Reigen.

"You're just letting him do whatever makes him feel better about calling you out today, aren't you Shigeo?" Dimple whispered to Mob.

"Well…"

"Mob! Let's not hang around in this roach infested hole!"

Mob followed Reigen out, letting his lack of answer serve as an affirmative to Dimple's posed question. But the fact of the matter remained, he enjoyed these evenings with Reigen. It was like old times, but much more tame.

No crazy cults. No societies out for world domination. No powerful spirits trying to murder anybody. Just little jobs and shared meals.

One psychic and one self-proclaimed psychic sat at a ramen bar, slurping noodles noisily.

Partway through the meal, Reigen slowed down enough to start asking questions. How were Mob's university classes going? How was having an apartment with Ritsu? How many new friends had he made? Mob answered what he could between mouthfuls of ramen.

"Mob," Reigen said earnestly, after Dimple had wandered off, bored, "I'm sorry to stress you out by making you deal with my mess. I was pretty sure the client was just…"

"I said it before when you first called. Don't worry about it, shishou."

Mob smiled.

Reigen smiled back, "You did a good job. You know that, Mob."

Mob nodded.

"I mean it."

"I know, shishou. I appreciate it."

Reigen heaved a sigh. He set his chopsticks across his bowl and pushed it away so he could lean forward, elbows propped on the bar, "Some days, it doesn't feel like any time has passed. But then I look around and see everything that's changed." Reigen glanced at Mob, "Especially you, Mob. You've changed."

"Not that much." Mob mumbled.

"You think so?" Reigen raised an eyebrow at Mob, "You're taller than me now. All that body improvement paid off. You're working hard at your university classes…"

"Not _that_ hard." Mob cut in.

"And you haven't had an explosion in how long?"

"Almost two years."

"See. You changed, Mob. You changed yourself."

"You've been a big help, shishou."

"Hmmph. I haven't done much."

Once again, Mob didn't argue with Reigen.

"All I'm trying to say, Mob, is that you did a good job. And I don't mean just today. I mean with everything. You've handled it well."

Mob could think of a number of things he didn't handle well. How he actually handled it. He wanted to squirm in his seat. But what Reigen was saying was starting to sink in. He wasn't that person anymore. He had changed himself.

"Thank you, shishou."

"What are you thanking me for?"

Mob wasn't sure. There wasn't a good way to sum up everything Reigen had done for him. So instead, he just settled with a smile and a complacent, "Nothing, shishou."

Reigen waved the manager down and paid the bill – two bowls of ramen with extra pork. They stepped out into the darkening streets. Mob looked up, straining to see a single star, but all he saw was Dimple. The spirit darted back down to their sides.

Reigen pointed at Dimple, "Make sure Mob gets home safe tonight."

"You're not _my_ boss, Reigen."

"Dimple, don't be childish. You were going to do it anyway."

"Then why tell me to do it?" The spirit griped.

Mob interrupted before the two could devolve into an argument. "Have a good night, shishou."

"You too, Mob. Maybe next time I have a real case, it'll be in your area." Reigen waved before turning in the direction of his apartment.

"I wouldn't count on it." Dimple grumbled.

"Maybe." Mob whispered mostly to himself, "We can hope."

The walk back to the station was filled with Dimple's usual complaints about Reigen. The train ride was, once again, a battle to stay awake. Which he lost. Dimple woke Mob at his stop and filled his ears with nonsense during the subsequent walk to his apartment. Mob let himself in. It was still quiet in Ritsu's absence, but Mob didn't mind.

The day settled into his limbs when Mob collapsed onto his futon, making them feel like lead. He'd do those readings for class in the morning. Right now, he just wanted to sleep.

And it was peaceful.

* * *

 **Some of you want angst. Which is fine. I want angst too. Sometimes. But not in this case. In this case, I just want Mob to be happy. So if that's what you want too, this may be the fic for you. Fair warning: nothing happens. This is as plotless as it gets. It's just me writing about wonderful characters having a wonderful time. Even Ritsu. (eventually)**


	2. Down Day

Mob shut the door behind him as quickly as possible. The icy wind did its best to squeeze its way inside, resisting the motion of the door on its hinges.

But his battle with the elements was quickly over. He slid the deadbolt shut for good measure – he was the last one home and it was already pretty late. Kicking off his shoes and shedding his coat in the genkan must have been enough noise to alert Ritsu of his arrival.

Ritsu's messy hair poked out of the small kitchen of their shared two bedroom apartment. He was holding a spatula and smiling ever so slightly.

"Rough day?"

Mob made a vaguely affirmative noise and shuffled past Ristu.

"Don't go too far. This is almost done."

"Ooooh! What are you making, Ricchan?" Dimple asked as he floated in after Mob. Ever the curious one. Mob simply settled down at the table and pulled out his phone to check his messages.

"Omelette rice." Ritsu answered, no doubt for Mob's benefit, because he flipped Dimple off with an added mote of psychic power and growled, "I've told you dozens of times already, Dimple. Don't. Call. Me. _Ricchan_."

Dimple rubbed his smoking face with a short, spindly arm, "Fine. Fine."

"What can I bribe you with to leave us alone for the evening?" Ritsu asked the spirit, casually going back to his task. He prodded the egg envelope with his spatula, checking the consistency.

"Nothing."

Ritsu sent Dimple a dark glare. Mob tried to ignore the animosity of it from his spot at the table. He needed to text Captain Musashi that he wouldn't be able to meet the body improvement guys at the usual time this weekend. He'd spent all of today studying for exams and he'd need to do the same over the weekend. If he wanted to pass, that is. Which he did.

Mob sighed and laid his phone face-down on the table.

He failed to notice Dimple shoot a concerned look in his direction. "Fine." Dimple muttered to Ritsu instead, "It's been a while since I've had a good meal, what with Shigeo being busy with school. Some small fries would really fill me up."

Ritsu moved the omelette rice from the pan to a plate and slathered it with ketchup, "Last time I passed Shoulder Park, I noticed quite a few little ghosts floating around terrorizing the children. Probably from one too many ghost stories."

"And you didn't bother to exorcise them?" Dimple deadpanned.

"Nope." Ritsu popped the 'p,' "I was saving it for an occasion such as this."

Dimple's expression was bland, "You really don't have anyone's best interests at heart, do you?"

Ritsu cast a glance at his brother. Mob looked like he was about to become one with the floor.

Dimple amended his previous statement, "Okay, _almost_ anyone's."

"Bye, Dimple!" Ritsu chirped all too brightly, "Don't come back soon!"

"Tch." Dimple darted out of the small apartment as Ritsu gathered up two plates of omelette rice and brought them over to the table. The approaching smell seemed to have perked Mob up a little, who sat up straighter and picked up his spoon.

"Itadakimasu." Mob and Ritsu said in unison before digging in.

Although, some of his earliest flirtations in the kitchen had been disastrous, Ritsu had really become quite the proficient cook in the past two years. On nights like these, Mob appreciated the hot meal when he got home, even if it meant he'd be doing the dishes later.

"Your first exam is Monday, right?" Ritsu asked, breaking the silence.

Mob's spoon, as if on cue, bent to an unnatural angle on its way to his mouth, spilling ketchup flavored rice all over the table. Without the energy to be either upset or surprised by this, Mob simply sent Ritsu a blank look.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Ritsu chuckled and passed Mob the cloth they kept at the table specifically for such situations. "What time." He held his hand out for Mob's spoon.

Mob passed Ritsu the mangled spoon and set about wiping up the mess he'd accidentally made. "One in the afternoon."

"Not bad." Ritsu straightened the bent spoon out with telekinesis and handed it back, "At least you don't have to wake up early."

"Thanks." Mob said quietly, meaning for the straightened spoon.

"No problem, bro." Ritsu waved it off like it was nothing, but his expression quickly became thoughtful, "You know, if it's just us living here, I wonder why we bother to keep spoons and forks since both of us are so prone to bending them."

As is typical of Mob, his response came off flat, "You expect us to eat omelette rice which chopsticks? What about curry rice? Or hot cakes…"

Ritsu held up a hand and cracked a cynical smile, "You made your point, bro."

Mob mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You can help it if they just wilt around you like flowers in the sun… which is funny because flowers do so well with you around." Ritsu eyed the cactus in the corner of what could be called the 'living room' of their tiny apartment. A little flower crown had bloomed in a perfect circle around the top of it, colorful and proud.

Mob followed Ritsu's gaze. "That thing barely needs my help." He took a heaping spoonful of his food, as if to make up for the loss of his previous one.

With a shrug, Ritsu let it go. His brother could be so darn humble, it almost hurt Ritsu's soul. If he was good at something, he usually let people know… subtly, that is. He and Shigeo were just different in that respect. It had taken him a little too long to realize that his brother's silence was not superiority, but it didn't exactly equate to confidence either.

"Hey." Ritsu said suddenly, "Wanna play some video games tonight?"

The glowing clock on the microwave indicated that it was only eight in the evening. On a Friday, anyone would expect college students like them to be out having a good time, hanging out in restaurants or bars. With people. With loud music. Possibly alcohol.

Mob cringed at the thought. Right now, stressed as he was, he wanted peace and quiet and a nice evening in with his brother. Video games sounded perfect.

He made his best effort to smile at Ritsu and found that it wasn't wasted. Ritsu smiled back. All warm and Ritsu and not the Ritsu he usually showed others. If it was just the two of them, Ritsu was just as relaxed at Mob was. And Mob was glad for that.

"That sounds really nice."

Ritsu set about gathering up their empty dishes. Belatedly, Mob realized that he should probably be the one doing that.

"Hey…"

Ritsu cut him off, "Unlike you, I don't have any finals. All my final projects were due this week, so I'm done for the semester. I can handle a few extra dishes, bro."

"Okay."

"But I won't object if you get the gaming system out and chose what to play."

Now there was a decision to make. Mob sifted through what games they had available for their, frankly outdated, gaming system. Some good old Nintendo never went awry though. Mob chose Super Mario Bros, something Dimple had suggested they get, if only for the irony. The irony was lost on Mob.

Ritsu accepted the controller Mob handed him when he returned from the kitchen, letting out a little bark of laughter, "And somehow, Dimple still manages to patronize us, even when he's not here."

Mob just shrugged and let the complaint go. It wasn't aimed at him anyway.

For a while, only the clacking sounds of plastic on plastic could be heard as the brothers manipulated the controllers. Mob wasn't very good, so Ritsu made up for his lack of skill. They settled into a rhythm, which worked out some stress and freed them up to talk.

"It's good to take a break, bro."

Mob's character died, but he didn't show any disappointment on his face. His answer was equally flat, "Says the engineering student to the business student."

"Hey," Ritsu argued, "Engineering is hard for me and business is hard for you. There's no use squabbling over the strengths of two different people. People _should_ be different."

"That's rather heartfelt," Mob smirked just a tiny bit, "Coming from you."

Ritsu huffed, "I'll admit. I wouldn't say that to any other business student."

"And there's the Ritsu we all know and love."

"'As prickly as our houseplant.' That asshole Teru never forgets to remind me whenever he sees me on campus." Ritsu's controller creaked just a tiny bit in his grip. Mob could see motes of his glittery, iridescent power out of the corner of his eye, but he stayed focused on the screen. Ritsu wrestled it back in seconds, but lapse in focus on the game lead to his digital death.

"Damn." Ritsu huffed softly.

Mob didn't say anything. He expected Ritsu to reset and start up again, but he didn't. Ritsu just put his controller down, and folded his legs – crisscross applesauce. Mob matched him, setting his controller on the tatami mat and bringing his knees up to his chest where he could wrap his arms around them.

"Is something wrong, Ritsu?" Mob had to check, just to be sure. Reading people was not his strong suit, but he absolutely _did not_ want to overlook his brother. He wouldn't let that happen again.

"Not really." Ritsu laughed in a way that hinted at self-depreciation, "I just… I just really respect you, bro."

"What for?"

Ritsu rolled his eyes, but spelled it out anyway, "You're amazing. I don't even have a fraction of your power and I can't even keep it under control if I mention that dumb haystack-head's name. But you… you can do anything. And you keep it all under control. I haven't seen you slip up in years."

"It comes with practice." Mob's monotone was placating.

"But that's not really what I'm getting at." Ritsu went on, "I don't just respect you for your powers or your control. I respect that you've chosen what you want to do with your life and you don't let those powers shape you."

Mob opened his mouth to argue. He wasn't perfect. He wasn't as great as Ritsu was making him out to be. But Ritsu beat him to it.

"I love you, bro. Just take a complement."

"Okay."

As simply as if Ritsu had exorcised it, Mob felt the last of his stress melt away.

Ritsu rolled his eyes, "Geez, I thought I was going to have to argue with you more about that."

"I don't want to argue with my brother."

"Do you feel better now compared to when you first got home?"

"Yes. Thank you. I was just going to point out, that I want to use my powers in a consulting agency. Like Reigen. That's technically letting my powers shape me."

Ritsu groaned, exaggeratedly throwing out his arms and rolled to his back on the floor. He could be such a drama queen, but Mob had known that for years. Mob smiled at him, but it was lost on Ritsu.

"You win." Ritsu muttered, "Is that what you wanted."

"Not… necessarily." Mob responded, not sure of what Ritsu thought he was 'winning.' "Are we not playing anymore?"

"Maybe not. Want to just talk?"

"About what?"

"Anything."

Mob tilted his head, "Well, that's… vague."

Ritsu launched ahead, "If you had unlimited resources to spend on your future psychic consulting agency, what would it be like?"

"For starters," Mob began with a smile, "It would be a partnership with my very talented brother and we'd…"

Late into the night, Mob realized, that was possibly the longest he'd ever talked.

* * *

 **Because stress around finals time is always a thing. No, it's not finals time right now for me, but I'm still stressed by schoolwork because I always feel behind. Am I projecting then? Yes, yes I am.**


	3. Girls

"Shigeo, I'm bored."

"Sorry. Nothing I can do about that."

"For being such a pushy girl, she sure doesn't mind being late to her own meetings."

Mob glanced at Dimple out of the corner of his eye. The spirit was fuming with frustration, unseen to anyone else in the train station. Weird, little green arms were crossed over what could pass for his chin. The dimples on his cheeks seemed to glow an even brighter red.

"Why are you so bothered by it?" Mob asked, "It's not really _your_ time she's wasting."

"Some has to be bothered for you, Shigeo." Dimple grouched, "Since it's _your_ time she's wasting and you certainly don't seem to be."

Mob leaned his back against the bench that had been empty when he found it. Now he was just watching people, as they busily bustled by. And yes, he was keeping an eye out 'the pushy girl' – according to Dimple – as well, even though this was the agreed meeting place.

"I'm sure she had a good reason." Mob tried.

"Oh, I'm sure she does too. And she had plenty of time to come up with it."

"Why do you always focus on the negatives?"

Dimple huffed, "It comes with the title, Shigeo. They don't add the 'evil' adjective to spirit for just anybody."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing." Mob deadpanned.

Dimple huffed some more, but didn't escalate the conversation. Mob breathed a small sigh of relief. Absently, he wondered why Dimple ever decided to stick around, but he didn't think anything would come of asking the 'evil' spirit directly. So he didn't bother.

Unlike Dimple, Mob wasn't upset about waiting. He kind of liked train stations. They were active and crowded, but in a transient way. People moved and moved on so quickly, that none of it ever really stuck. Everyone faded into the blur of faces.

Including him.

Just like his nickname, he was just one of the mob. Not standing out. Not making an impression. But here, that didn't matter. Here, everyone was just like him.

He'd call it therapeutic, but he wasn't sure whether or not that would be considered a healthy coping mechanism.

Mob must've been zoning out, because he almost didn't see the two women sit down on either side of him until it was already too late.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Reliable. You haven't changed a bit!"

Mob shot a questioning glance at Dimple, but the spirit just raised his spindly arms in what could be a shrug. He looked just about as confused as Mob felt. These _weren't_ the people they'd been waiting for.

"Ummm…" Mob stuttered, feeling sweat roll down his neck as he looked to his right. A woman with cherry-brown eyes and black hair that fanned out at her shoulders. To his left. A woman with chocolate-brown eyes and sandy hair that was almost a boy's length. He didn't recognize either of them. If possible, Mob's face grew even hotter.

"I mean, sheesh," the brown-haired one continued, "I know it's been a few years since you did that exorcism for us at Highso Private Girl's Academy, but you barely look any different!"

"He _is_ taller, Chihiro." The black-haired girl piped up, "You barely come up to his ear sitting down!"

"Hmmm… now that you mention it, Mari, he doesn't look as noodley as he did back then either. Say, kid, do you think you could still pull off a girl's uniform?"

Dimple snorted obnoxiously, "Ha! Shigeo? In a girls' uniform!? I'd love to get my hands on some prime blackmail like that."

Mob made a mental note _not_ to tell Dimple about the one time Ritsu dressed up as maid. Ritsu loved him, but he could get very, very mad when he was mad at Dimple. His anger tended to bleed into other things. And the term 'bleed' was not always metaphorical.

"Ummm…" usually he was pretty good at ignoring Dimple in conversations where the spirit could physically not partake. But at the moment, his thoughts were a typhoon. 'Highso Academy'? When was that? Who were these people?

"Just the hairstyle, then." The brown-haired girl – Chihiro – said, "It's a very distinctive hairstyle."

"Yep." Mari agreed.

"W-who are you two, again?" Mob finally stuttered out.

Mari rolled her eyes, "If you don't remember us, do you remember stopping the pervy scent ghoul in the gym of an all-girls academy, about, hmmm… five years ago?"

It finally clicked.

Chihiro noticed, "Now he's got it."

"Sorry about that." Mob mumbled.

"It's okay," Chihiro waved it off, "You did a good job, back then. Even amateurs like us could tell you had experience. You must have done a lot of exorcisms over the years. Still working for that Reigen guy?"

"Occasionally. But I'm attending a university now, so not as much."

"Good for you." Mari socked him in the shoulder, but not hard enough to hurt, "Chihiro and I actually just graduated."

"Congratulations!"

"Ugh." Chihiro groaned, "It would be better if we already had jobs. But we did just finish some interviews over in Soup Base City, so cross your fingers for us."

Mob crossed both sets of fingers, "What kind of jobs?"

"I'm looking for a position in nursing." Chihiro declared and then pointed at her friend, "And Mari here is looking for something in medical information systems. We interviewed at the same hospital this morning. We thought we'd grab a bite to eat before we left the station."

Mari piped up, "Want to join us?"

"I can't." Mob said, "I'm waiting for someone."

"Someone who's late." Mob heard Dimple grumble from somewhere behind his head.

"Oh!" Chihiro's eyes lit up, "Is it a girl?"

"Yes." Mob answered honestly. It didn't occur to him that he ought to give more of an explanation. With Dimple behind him, he didn't see the way the spirit was attempting to hold back his laughter.

Mari scanned over his dark-wash jeans and blue-plaid shirt, "Going for a casual look I see."

"Well obviously! It's only three in the afternoon!" Chihiro added. Her tone turned serious as she addressed Mob, "Okay, kid. What's your plan to impress her? What's she interested in?"

"Uh, supernatural phenomenon, I guess."

Chihiro laughed, "Conversation material, check!"

"Where are you going?" Mari butt in.

"There's this café only a few blocks away from the station that she suggested."

"Nice." Mari held up two fingers in a 'v' for 'victory,' "Always let the girl chose the place. Don't ever let them let you make the decision for them."

Mob was feeling a little bit lost.

Chihiro picked some lint off his shoulders, "Okay," She said as if to calm down, "You got this. You can do this, kid."

"Of course I can." Unfortunately for Mob, he didn't convey his confusion very well, "We meet for this stuff pretty regularly."

"Of course." Chihiro recovered, "You're practically an expert."

Mob frowned, ever so slightly, "I kinda am." He thought they should know that by now. He _did_ an exorcism at their school, after all.

Mari smirked, "Chihiro, get a load of this kid. He's just brimming with confidence. Girls like confidence, kid, keep it up. I'm sure your date is going to go fantastically!"

"Wait… what?"

The two women gathered up their stuff and stood.

"We gotta scram." Chihiro winked, "We don't want your date to think that you're flirting with two older, beautiful ladies, now do we?"

Mari beamed a smile at him and waved, "We're cheering for you! Let's get lunch again some other time and you can tell us all about it. Chihiro and I will be your dating consultants for the price of a meal. Later, kid!"

"What?" Mob whispered again, mostly to himself this time.

Dimple snickered as he floated into view, "Well aren't they just a boat load of help?"

"Dimple, should I have told them that I'm just meeting someone for business?"

"They probably would have misunderstood that as well."

"But, I feel like I was deceiving them."

"They deceived themselves."

"It's just…"

"Who are you talking to, Mob-kun?"

Mob looked up to see Mezato Ichi in all her reporter intern glory. She was wearing a business-like skirt with a matching suit jacket. Around her neck hung a press pass and across her shoulder hung a hefty laptop bag. The only thing that had stayed the same since middle school was her short, light brown hair and equally short bangs.

"No one." Mob fumbled for an excuse, but Mezato's follow up questions were as quick as ever.

"You were clearly having a conversation with someone, Mob-kun. There's no one else here and you're not using a Bluetooth or any other cellular device. So how about you give me an actual explanation."

"How about I bash your face in, you rude little girl." Dimple growled. He had never liked Mezato. Mob was pretty sure the grudge went as far back as the LOL cult. "First you show up late and now you grill Shigeo like he didn't sacrifice all this time to help you out because you're an un-freaking-paid intern…"

Mob held up a hand to cut Dimple off.

"But…" Dimple whined.

Dimple did not like the glare Shigeo sent him. He shut up instantly.

"Sorry." Mob said to Mezato, "How about we walk and talk?"

"Don't dodge the question." Mezato reminded him, but she fell into step beside him regardless.

Mob offered her a slight smile, "I thought you just wanted me to fact check the psychic stuff for the article you're working on."

"Is that all I can ask about, Mob-kun?"

Mob didn't say anything, but Mezato was used to that response from him.

She sighed, "Fine. We'll stick to the topics we discussed over the phone."

"Thank you."

"I really do appreciate you doing this for me, Mob-kun. Any other psychic consultant would charge more than a cup of coffee."

"You would be surprised. It's more than I used to get paid." Mob remembered those afternoons with a smile. Sitting at a 'receptionist desk' for a few hours after school in Reigen's office. Listening as Reigen solved peoples' problems, supernatural or otherwise. He didn't regret that time, cheap pay included.

"I think this article will make a big impression on the publisher!" Mezato's eyes burned with a reporter's passion, "It's sure to get me hired!"

Mob was happy that Mezato was living her dream.

But, in the back of his mind, he thought: girls are really tough to understand.

* * *

 **Fortunately, I have lots of ideas for this fic. Fortunately, (actually, unfortunately) I don't have the attention span to study or do my homework. Hopefully you enjoy my lapse of good judgement.**


	4. Hard To Read

Mob regarded the vending machine seriously.

To a passerby his expression might appear completely vacant. But in reality, he was thinking very, very hard. Choosing which type of milk he wanted required careful concentration after all. This was serious business. As serious as exorcism.

The lights on the machine blinked patiently.

It was probably a good thing that Dimple wasn't around to patronize him about his indecisiveness.

Mob raised his right hand, about to press the option for the milk furthest to the left when he was startled by a casual greeting.

"Yo."

Mob glanced over his shoulder. Hanazawa Teruki, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets, stood behind Mob in all this day-glo glory. That orange sweater was particularly hard on Mob's eyes, it was just so _bright_. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing though.

"Good afternoon, Hanazawa-kun."

"What are you doing here, Kageyama-kun?" Teru asked with honest curiosity, "Class is out of session. Don't you have something better to be doing with your break?"

"Hmmm. Do I?" Mob went back to the vending machine. With deliberate movements, he selected his drink, retrieved it from the drawer, and poked his straw through the top. He took a sip and savored the sweet flavor on his tongue.

"I would've thought you'd be working with Mr. Reigen." Teru explained, coming up alongside Mob and feeding the vending machine some money. Comparatively, Teru was much quicker about selecting his beverage: simple black coffee.

"Shishou calls me in if he needs me. That way I don't have to go all the way over to Spice City every day. It saves us both time and money."

"Ah, that's right." Teru popped the tab on his coffee and took a long swig, "I guess your apartment isn't that close to Mr. Reigen's office, not like when you lived with your parents."

Mob regarded him blandly. This had been the case for years. Why was he stating it like he'd just made a novel discovery?

Stuffing the hand that wasn't holding his coffee back in his pocket, Teru said, "Wanna grab some takoyaki from the cafeteria? It's not half bad on Wednesdays."

Mob shrugged, "Sure."

The two psychics crossed the campus grounds, steps in synch. It was the sort of synchrony that could only be achieved by two people who had fought side-by-side when both were too young to be dealing with the pressures of cruel powers and cruel adults. Dimple had always marveled at their friendship. After all, what kind of friendship budded from one trying to strangle the other?

Teru had the sense never to bring up that fact around Ritsu.

Only the sound of shoes on the sidewalk could be heard between them as Mob waited for Teru to talk. He was usually the one to start a conversation between the two of them. And he never waited very long to do so. Mob was starting to worry that something might seriously be wrong when Teru finally broke the silence.

"Have you ever thought about using your powers for hero work, Kageyama-kun?"

Teru held the door to the cafeteria open for Mob and then followed in behind. He didn't press the question any more, giving Mob some time to think over his question. Teru grabbed an order for takoyaki from the ticket machine and turned it in at the counter for the cook. Mob fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt as they waited.

The scent of Mob's favorite food wafted through the mostly-empty cafeteria.

All too soon, it seemed, Mob and Teru were sitting at a table, ten steaming takoyaki balls sitting between them. To stall for more time, Mob speared a takoyaki ball with his toothpick and blew on it until it was an edible temperature.

"No." Mob finally answered, matter of fact. He popped the takoyaki ball in his mouth and chewed. The burst of savory flavor followed by the chewy octopus was just right. Teru hadn't been wrong, it was pretty good takoyaki.

"Why?"

"Why are you asking?"

Teru shifted in his seat. Something flitted across his face: an expression Mob couldn't read. Teru knew Mob well enough to know that the straightforward approach was the best approach, but instead he said, "You know about that Hero Association that started up a year ago?"

Mob nodded. He knew about it. He may not actively keep up with the news, but it had been a pretty hot topic. It was like comic books had come to life.

"Apparently one of the top heroes is a very powerful ESPer."

After a second takoyaki ball Mob prompted, "So." He wasn't sure where Teru was going with this.

"You really have no interest in that?"

"No." Mob deadpanned, "I already know what I want to do. Are you interested?"

Teru propped his hand on his chin, thumb squishing into his own cheek, "I'll admit, it's a very romantic notion. But I guess I'm not really that interested either. What with all the collateral damage that's been occurring alongside the hero business, the government is really going to need my degree in urban planning. "

Mob didn't really have anything to say in response to that, but Teru didn't mind doing the talking. "That's actually why I'm here. One of my professors set me up with an internship with an architectural firm for the duration of our break. I'm going to be pretty busy."

"So why bring it up?"

Teru sighed a little, "Do you remember the Awakening Lab kids? I kept in contact with them and I occasionally help them work on their powers. Lately they've been all caught up in the hero fever and I'm having a hard time talking them out of it. It's simply too dangerous for their level of ability."

"What does that have to do with me?" Mob asked. He'd lost track of how many takoyaki balls he'd already had, which made him kind of worried that he'd eaten more than his fair share.

"I was wondering if you would come with me next time I meet them. I think they'd benefit from talking with you."

"How?"

Teru smiled and tilted his head, "You're a good influence, Kageyama-kun. How else?"

Mob wasn't sure how to respond to that. It often caught him off guard just how highly Teru seemed to think of him. Mob often wondered where that had started. "I'm not sure what I can say to them, but I'll come if you think it will help."

Teru's smile widened, "I do think it will help. You should bring brother-kun along with you. He can help you with introductions, since he used to be part of Awakening Labs as well."

Mob nodded. That was reasonable.

"Although, maybe…" Teru sounded uncharacteristically hesitant, "Maybe leave Dimple-kun behind on this one."

The thought of letting Dimple loose among a bunch impressionable ESPers made Mob shiver. It would certainly be a recipe for disaster if Dimple managed to sweet talk them into some kind of deal. Possession or otherwise.

"I'll do that." Mob agreed.

Both ESPers were silent for a minute as they finished off the last of the takoyaki. Mob was tempted to place a second order, but decided against it. Ritsu would be disappointed in him if he didn't have an appetite at dinner time.

"I might be busy during break." Teru sounded suddenly earnest, "But I'll always have time for you if you need me, Kageyama-kun."

Mob met Teru's gaze.

"What's this about?"

Teru's gaze, Teru's tone, Teru's posture, it was all very intentional. "I want you to know that I am someone you can rely on. If something comes up. If you're stressed out about something. If you need help of any kind. You have me. You know that, right?"

"Of course I know that, Hanazawa-kun. You're my friend."

A monstrous sigh whooshed its way out of Teru's lungs. His shoulders, garbed as they were by that fluorescent orange sweater, relaxed. His blue eyes softened.

Mob couldn't hold back a little chuckle, "Were you _that_ worried I didn't know, Hanazawa-kun? Maybe _I_ should be the one telling you all those things?"

"No, no, Kageyama-kun. It's fine." Teru brushed his golden bangs out of his face only for them to fall back into the same position, "Sometimes, I just want to make sure. You can be hard to read. Not that that's a bad thing." He quickly amended.

"Well," Mob rose and tossed the empty carton into a nearby trash bin. Teru followed him out of the cafeteria before he could be tempted into eating any more takoyaki, "Well, just to make sure, you can always count on me as well, Hanazawa-kun. Maybe as long as there's no fighting involved…"

He dwindled off to the sound of Teru's laugh, light and carefree. Teru's blonde hair, which he continued to keep at a respectably short length after it grew back all those years ago, sparkled in the early spring sun. Mob always did think that Teru had a sunny personality, but his opinion possibly had something to do with the hue of Teru's aura.

"I know you well enough for that." Teru hiccupped after his laughter had subsided somewhat.

"Good. Glad we're on the same page."

Mob didn't shrug it off when Teru slung an arm around his shoulder. And just like that, the two of them walked and talked, no real destination in mind. Just a lazy afternoon, quality time, and best friends.

* * *

 **Just a little confession: I had a really tough time characterizing Teru for some reason... sorry if this is ungainly :]**


	5. Not All Heroes Need Laurels

"I can't believe I agreed to this."

"Aren't they your friends?"

Ritsu glowered, but it wasn't really directed at Mob, "In the loosest definition of the word." Ritsu growled, "And that haystack prick is going to be there."

Mob sighed, "Can you at least _try_ to get along with Hanzawa-kun?"

"I'll try." He muttered, "But I make no promises."

Mob sighed again. That was probably the best response he could hope for. He glanced at his phone. Another text from Teru was waiting, asking if he was coming today. Mob typed up a quick response to confirm that, yes, they were coming, just running a little late since Ritsu was dragging his feet. Mob sent the message and slipped his phone into his pocket.

He knew where he was going. He'd been over to Teru's apartment a number of times. Thankfully, only one of those times was because he'd been recovering from a vicious ESPer battle. He didn't need to relive that experience.

"Do you want to grab some milk tea?" Ritsu asked, pointing at a little shop across the street with bright, eye-catching advertisements.

"Sure." Mob gave in, even though he knew it would delay their arrival more than it already was, "But let's not take too long. They're expecting us."

Ritsu pressed the button on the streetlight for the sidewalk, "I know."

"So why are you stalling?"

"It's been a while since I talked to these guys."

"So?"

Ritsu squirmed, "I said some things…"

Mob simply smiled and laid a comforting hand on Ritsu's shoulder, "It'll be alright."

Ritsu nodded. The light changed and they crossed the street. The shop was small, filled with brightly colored tables and chairs. Ritsu went straight to the counter and ordered taro tea with tapioca pearls. Mob ordered plain milk tea. Ritsu paid for both since 'it was his idea and his fault that Mob was late to his meeting.' Mob didn't argue. It was good tea.

So, ten minutes later, with drinks in hand and stylishly late, they finally arrived at Teru's apartment. The man himself opened the door on the first knock.

"I sensed you coming." Teru explained with one of his bright smiles

"Show off." Ritsu mumbled from behind Mob.

Mob smiled, "Good afternoon, Hanazawa-kun."

Teru herded them inside. The apartment was a little crowded with there already being six people inside and then adding another two, but no one seemed particularly upset about that. Mob noted the vaguely familiar faces of the Awakening Lab kids: a strawberry blonde girl, a pompadour boy, a messy haired boy, and a set of brothers. They greeted Ritsu with a chorus of 'Hey Kageyama-kun's when they noticed him behind Mob.

"And who is this?" The girl was the first to ask, her question directed at Teru.

Teru gestured to Mob, "This is Kageyama-kun senior. Brother-kun's older brother."

"Older brother?" she mused.

"Why don't you all introduce yourselves, first off." Teru suggested, "And since we have two Kageyamas, you can call the elder Kageyama-senpai."

Ristu threw Teru a dirty glare, but Teru purposefully ignored it.

"I'm Kurosaki Rei!" The girl piped up first. She placed her hands on her hips and proudly announced, "I have clairvoyance."

"That's pretty rare." Mob said earnestly, "Very cool."

"Thanks!"

"And I," pompadour boy looked like he was faintly sparkling, "Am Hoshino Takeshi. My special power is telekinesis! Hanazawa-senpai is training me to be the strongest both in power and strength!"

The messy haired boy butt in, quick to brag as well, "I'm known as the godsend who can burn everything in his path, or Asahi Go. I'm pyrokinetic."

Mob just nodded and smiled.

"And we," The last two boys chimed in unison, "Are the Shiratori brothers."

"I'm Daichi." Said the round one.

"And I'm Kaito." Said the square one.

Once again, like they had practiced it, the two brothers announced, "We have telepathic powers."

"Really!" Mob couldn't hold back a little bit of excitement. Even after all those 'dates' with president Kurata, they'd never actually found a telepath. Although it was years too late, he asked, "You can read peoples' thoughts!?"

The twins deflated a little.

"We can only read each other's thoughts, actually." Kaito admitted.

"But we've been training, so maybe one day we will be able to read other people too." Daichi explained.

Mob wasn't deterred, "That's still pretty cool." He failed to see Ritsu roll his eyes at the apparent uselessness of the brothers' powers, "If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce you to some I know sometime."

"Sure." And "Okay." Were uttered simultaneously.

Mob almost forgot to introduce himself, but Ritsu sent him a gentle nudge as a reminder. "Oh! And I am Kageyama Shigeo." He bowed, "It's nice to meet you all."

"What's your ability?" Go asked, apparently thinking that Mob's introduction was only half done.

Mob's tone was serious. "I have the ability to run pretty far without passing out."

"I think he was asking about your psychic power, Kageyama-senpai." Rei giggled a little, "Kageyama-kun once told us that you were an ESPer as well."

"Um…" Mob glanced at Teru, confused as he asked, "'Power'? Singular? As in 'one'?"

Teru put a consoling hand on Mob's shoulder as if mourning his lack of understanding, "Not everyone is as amazing as you are, Kageyama-kun."

"I didn't think they'd remember that." Ritsu mumbled.

Teru smirked.

"There's no reason for you to be smug, Haystack!" Ritsu snapped

Mob cut in, "I'm still confused."

"Now, now, you all, if you have a question about psychic powers, I will be the one to answer them." Teru laughed, "Kageyama-senpai isn't very good at explaining things that come as naturally to him as breathing."

"That doesn't really answer the question." Takeshi grumbled.

Ritsu rolled his eyes, "If you must know, my brother has telekinetic powers. Like me."

"You mean to say that _you_ have telekinetic powers _like him_ , brother-kun." Teru corrected.

Ritsu glared daggers.

"Well, I can do other stuff too." Mob said hesitantly.

"So you're like Hanazawa-senpai?" Rei asked, eyes shining, "That's amazing. You're a natural?"

"As natural as they get." Teru bragged _for_ Mob it would seem.

"Why is he here then?" Go asked and then added an apologetic, "Not to be rude, or anything."

Teru put a hand on his waist and cocked his hip, "I thought it would be good for you all to meet. Kageyama-kun can watch you train and answer any questions you might have about using powers in society."

"As heroes?" pompadour boy sounded excited at that prospect.

Teru shot him down, "No, Hoshino-kun, _as commoners_."

" _That_ again?" Go muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Is _that_ a problem?" Ritsu asked. It was an honest question, but in typical Ristu fashion, it came off terse. Accusing.

Rei seemed to have some experiencing in placating their prickly peer, "It just seems like we could be doing more." She explained.

Teru glanced at Mob, his expression encouraging Mob to say something. But knowing Mob, he made sure to add aloud, "What are your thoughts, Kageyama-kun?"

"I think there's plenty to do if you want to use your talents for work." Mob said, and found himself not uncomfortable when five sets of eyes settled on him, "I don't think you need to risk your lives trying to be the best at something when society obviously needs people who are just okay at a few things. I'm sure you all have seen the damage caused by those monsters. It's dangerous. If that's what you _really_ want to do, you might want to spend more time thinking about it before you come to a decision."

Teru placed a hand on Mob's shoulder, "All good points, don't you think?" he glanced at the Awakening Labs crew and was relieved to find that they were talking Mob's advice seriously.

"I guess." Go agreed, "But what does that mean I'm supposed to do? Light candles?"

"Or stoves." Mob suggested, completely missing the exasperated expression Go wore. Mob turned to his brother, "Hey Ritsu, do you think I could do that? I could light the stove for you when you cook!"

"I'm sure you can, bro." Ritsu said with encouragement and a smile that made his 'friends' all wonder if it were actually Ritsu speaking and not an alien that only looked like Ritsu. Ritsu's attention was only for his brother, "Why don't you try it? I don't think I've seen a psychic power that you _can't_ do."

Mob put a hand to his chin and pondered, "I'm not sure where to start."

"Asashi-kun," Teru gestured to Mob, "Why don't you give Kageyama-kun an example."

"Sure thing!" the pyrokinetic in question stepped forward and rolled up his sleeves. With a dramatic 'IGNITE!' he held up his index finger which took a brief second to burst into red-orange flames. A bead of sweat ran down his brow, but Go carefully manipulated the flame, "Hanazawa-senpai has been teaching me to control it like he does his air whips." He explained as it wove through his fingers. The rest of the crew looked on, transfixed, as if the flame was hypnotic. After half a minute it sputtered and went out.

Go was huffing a bit as he grinned at Mob, "Impressed?" he asked.

"Very. I think I'll give it a try now. It may not be quite as cool as yours, Asashi-kun."

Subtly, Teru waved everyone back a step as Mob stared at his hand. Focus on the psychic energy. Bring it to a point. Condense it. The friction from the molecules in the air should do the rest.

The sharp snap of air being violently displaced was soon drowned out by a roaring whoosh as flames gushed out of the tip of Mob's index finger like a broken fire hydrant, practically spraying into the air. A blue glow filled the apartment, awash in the color of Mob's psychic energy and indigo psychic flames.

"Oh, I did it." Mob mused, craning his head back to look at the apex of his efforts. When he noticed that the flames were charring the ceiling, he quickly cut off his psychic power.

All the same, a patch of the ceiling had caught and was now burning steadily. A wavy, golden orb encircled them, cutting off the source of oxygen, and snuffing them. Teru's barrier faded away after the flames did.

"You seemed to be quite the adept pyrokinetic, Kageyama-kun." Teru informed Mob with a smile, oblivious to the awestruck expressions worn by the Awakening Labs crew. Ritsu, on the other hand, looked mildly impressed. Although, his brother doing amazing things was hardly new news to him. He glanced at his 'peers' and had to choke down the smirk that wanted to grow on his face. They had expected an ESPer, but they hadn't expected Kageyama Shigeo.

"I'm sorry about your ceiling, Hanazawa-kun." Mob apologized.

Teru waved it off, "It's fine."

"I'll fix it." Mob raised a hand and pointed at the burnt and blackened scar on the ceiling. Another glow of blue and beautiful, spiraling shades of the rainbow. Particles were pulled from the air, their chemical processes reversed, and reassembled into a flawless patch of ceiling.

"Thank you, Kageyama-kun."

"No problem. But one more thing."

"Yes?" Teru asked.

Mob pointed at the Awakening Labs crew, "Are they okay?"

If it were physically possible, their jaws might have been on the floor.

Takeshi was the first one to find his voice, "You're that powerful? Are you sure you don't want to be a hero?"

"Yes." Mob's voice was firm, "The hero industry doesn't need my psychic power. Real people with real problems do. I still have a lot to learn too. From school and from my master. I'm not going to give up. And if I needlessly put myself at risk like that, I'll only make my friends and my family worry." Mob tossed a smile at Teru and Ritsu respectively to find them smiling proudly in return.

"I just want to be a good person." Mob summarized.

A whispered 'you already are' might have come from Rei, but she quickly cleared her throat and found the wall more interesting.

"Sooo…" Teru drew out the word, "Does anyone wanna go grab some lunch? Practicing psychic powers works up an appetite."

Ritsu's snide comment of 'you've barely even _done_ anything' was drowned out by cheers of agreement from the others. Eight ESPers went about gathering their things and filing out of Teru's small apartment. They meandered down the street, pace relaxed and conversation animated, in search of food.

Mob hoped everyone would agree on ramen.

* * *

 **I think I exaggerate Ritsu's grouchiness. I don't know about you, but I don't really care that much :3 He loves his brother and that's enough for me to love him. That and his sass. #relatableRitsu**


	6. Take Care Of Yourself

Mob leaned back and soaked up the sun. Beneath him, the roof of the apartment building was warm. A breeze played at his bangs, but he didn't care. Above him, a puffy cloud floated by – the same texture as cotton candy and the same shape as a curled up cat. He smiled.

This was so nice.

He wasn't kidding himself. University classes were tough for him. He hated the hours spent at a desk, cramming information into his skull just so he could regurgitate it during an exam and then forget it all. Breaks couldn't come soon enough. And now that he was on break, he filled up his days with mindless things like watching the clouds.

University. It was a necessary evil, and one that would be over soon enough. When all was said and done, he could stand on equal footing with Reigen, knowing how to actually run a successful business. Luck for him, he had Ritsu in the interim. Ritsu was always ready to help out.

A shadow fell over the rooftop as the puffy cirrus clouds obscured the sun. The one doing all the work looked like a baseball hat. The air grew still. It felt like someone had wrapped a blanket around him. The weather had finally passed the cusp of spring where most of the chill of winter had been banished.

This was so _very_ nice.

Mob didn't realized he had fallen asleep until a sound wormed its way into his subconscious. Footsteps. They were light and characteristic of rubber soles on rooftop. He felt a little disoriented, like he'd blinked and the sun had dropped a whole five centimeters in the sky. He vision focused on the shadow that fell over him, or more accurately, the person creating that shadow.

"What're you doin' up here?" Shou asked, his tone that usual mash-up of curiosity, lightheartedness, and teasing. Contrary to their first encounter, Mob had found that it actually took a lot to make Shou upset. The rest of the time, he seemed wholly unaffected by anything that happened to him.

Usually if Shou was upset, it had something to do with Ritsu.

"Watching the clouds." Mob answered honestly.

"Really?" Shou laughed, "Because to me it looked like you were watching the insides of your eyelids."

"That's true."

Shou laughed again and sat down beside Mob, leaning his back against the door to the stairwell. Mob might have worried that Shou would get hurt if the door opened, but no one but him ever really came to the rooftop.

"What are you doing here?" Mob asked instead.

"Eh. I came to see Ritsu." Shou propped an elbow on his knee and cupped his face in the same hand. The end result, his round cheeks – which hadn't thinned out since their teenage years – squished into his face and exaggerated his expression, "Gotta talk to Ritsu."

"About?"

"This and that."

"He's downstairs in the apartment." Mob informed Shou. Really, Shou knew the way. Mob wondered why Shou was dilly-dallying. His talk with Ritsu must not be urgent.

"Yeah."

Mob didn't say anything. He waited for Shou to get up and leave, but he didn't. He waited for Shou to say something, but he didn't.

So instead, Mob pointed up at the sky, "I think that cloud looks like a hamster."

"Yeah. Yeah, it does." Shou looked at Mob, his eyes bright, "Huh? You weren't kidding. You really were looking at the clouds."

Mob nodded.

Shou continued, "It's not like I thought you'd lie about that, but… still. I didn't know you liked to do that. Usually you're pretty busy with your classes, or your part-time job, or working out."

Mob nodded again, "But I like to do stuff like this when I have more time."

"Ah!" Shou snapped his fingers, "Ritsu did mention that his semester ended a few weeks ago. Nice. Man, though, school must stink." Shou always seemed like he had energy, always moving. He laced his hands behind his head and smiled wide, "I'm so glad I decided against it."

"It doesn't always stink." Mob felt the need to say, "Sometimes it stinks more than others. But breaks are definitely worth looking forward to."

"My life is one-hundred percent break!"

Mob cast about for the details of a conversation he'd had recently with Ritsu, "Really?" he asked Shou, "Because I thought Ritsu said you got a job a while back."

Shou, who'd had his eyes closed against the sun, cracked one to look at Mob.

"Well, yeah." Shou admitted, "I took the hero exam. You're looking at a certified member of the Hero Association. I'm A-class." Shou effused smug confidence, "Cool, right?"

"Yeah." Mob agreed.

"I know." Shou preened, "So you should really convince your brother of the same thing."

That made Mob pause.

Shou had turned his full attention on Mob now, his electric blue eyes seemed to be buzzing with energy just a bit.

"Ritsu doesn't agree?" Mob asked tentatively.

Shou pouted a little, "Well, he thinks it's stupid."

"What part?"

"I don't know!" Shou groaned, "That's what I don't get. Whenever I bring it up, he just kinda shuts me down. You know how he does that."

Yes, Mob knew Ritsu does that, but he never does that to Mob.

"I guess you'll have to try some more." Mob suggested.

Shou slouched against the door, "I know." He grumbled, "I just want him to understand that I'm not like a lot of the other guys who do it. I'm not in it for the glory or the fame or because I think I'm some heavenly agent of justice. I just want a job that I'm good at, you know?"

"I know." Mob agreed. It was satisfying, to be doing something you were good at. That's why Mob wanted to run his own agency. Because he was good at dealing with spirits; he was good at dealing with dangers that no one else could see.

Shou sighed.

"Do you want me to try talking to Ritsu?" Mob asked.

"Nah," Shou grinned, "I'll get it through his thick skull. That's what best friends are for. But thanks for the offer. I'm glad we're on the same side."

 _I'm glad we're on the same side_.

Years ago, Mob never thought he would hear those words from Shou. But a lot can change in a few years. Shou didn't seem to change. Mob had changed some. In this case, it was just the relationship – the dynamic. Between fighting ESPer wars and just being around each other, some solidarity had formed. What was its foundation?

Mob didn't know.

A breeze dance across the rooftop. Billowy clouds sailed overhead. A chorus of pedestrian and automobile sounds rose of from the street, increasing in volume as the sun sunk lower and rush hour began. The two ESPers sat in the stillness – like the eye of a storm.

"Have you got a lot on your mind, Shou-kun?" Mob asked.

"Not really. This is just really calming. I sat down and now I don't want to move."

A smile tugged at Mob's lips, "Right?"

"Yeah."

Just two ESPers soaking up the sun.

"Ya'know, I think someone once said that first impressions were usually wrong." Shou said suddenly, "I think, maybe they're right. I was wrong about you, anyway."

Mob looked at his brother's friend – his friend, if he were being honest with himself. His expression might have seemed a bit blank because Shou went on.

"The more I grow up, the more I understand how right you were back then." So he must be talking about the Seventh Branch stuff, "We were just kids trying to fight adult battles. It's a little surprising we all made it through that relatively sane."

Relatively sane. Key word being _relatively_. Because Ritsu still occasionally carried spoons in his pockets and Hanazawa-kun got a little jumpy if knives came too close to his hair and Mob had the occasional nightmare about cradling a dead cat in his arms. Mob pushed the thought away. Shou was still talking.

"I kinda found out over time: we need to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of other people. I guess that's what I'm trying to do in the hero business. It's for me first and then for the people I help. And by helping, I can make sure that kids don't get pushed into the kinds of situations that they're not ready to handle, so the cycle doesn't start all over again."

"That's good." Mob says.

Shou leans, a little aggravated, "I just want Ritsu to get that and get off my ass about it. He seems to think that I'm just in it for the thrills."

"You could try writing it down and giving it to him," Mob suggests, "You know how Ritsu likes to have things written down. And that way, you'll be able to tell him what you just told me without him being a butt about it."

Shou laughs out loud at that. It takes him a minute to bring it in again. He wipes a tear from his eye and says, "I don't think I've ever heard you badmouth your brother before."

"That wasn't badmouthing, that was stating a fact."

Shou laughs some more.

Mob checks his phone while Shou gets his giggles worked out. No messages. Ritsu might have fallen asleep too. He had looked pretty out of it, lounging in front of the TV when Mob had left for the roof. But it was getting close to dinnertime. And Ritsu might be sneezing up a storm with as much as Mob and Shou were talking about him.

Mob gets to his feet, dusting microscopic dirt off the seat of his pants. Shou stands too, with more energy and extra exaggerated movements.

"Hey, can I stay for dinner?" Shou asks.

"You should ask Ritsu. He's cooking."

"Heh. Then I'm definitely staying, whether he likes it or not. His grub is always good."

Mob opens the door to the stairwell, deciding not to mention the fact that Ritsu always keeps ghost peppers stocked in the kitchen. If Shou is breathing fire by the end of dinner, that would be his own fault for inviting himself over. Shou could kind of be a moocher and a cheapskate. Ritsu knew that.

"By the way," Mob asks, "How did you find me on the roof?"

Shou follows him down the stairwell and answers, "I used telekinesis to get here. It's much cheaper than the train."

Figures. Maybe Mob should tell Shou about the ghost peppers after all.

* * *

 **Sorry for the break in updates. Midterms are happening so, yeah. Here's a whole chapter of character interaction for some characters that rarely interact *sweats***

 **Speaking of which, I feel like there's a decent amount of Shou's cannon character in the manga, so I did my best with him. I personally see him as a little eccentric and very energetic. He's very inventive and doesn't tend to do things by conventional means. So yeah, if he seems erratic and random, that's sorta the impression I get off him :)**


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